Why We Love Fruit

It’s immensely accurate that none of us know the heart of another person, and equally true that God does.  The only real measure we as mere humans have to assert what is in another’s heart is to look at the fruit in their lives. 

As a Children’s Pastor I’ve come to terms with the fact that I may never get to fully see the fruit in the lives of those I minister to. Kids are ever changing and growing so the Spiritual fruit sometimes grows after they’ve left my care.  That’s why, when I do get a glimpse at the fruit getting ripe on the vine, I get super excited. 

This past Sunday we took a little pause in our ARMED series to review what we’ve been learning.  God has given us so much to digest…rich and deep things…that a little look-back seemed in order.  Through fun review games (like human tic-tac-toe) we did just that.  The kids were ‘quizzed’ on their knowledge of the truths we’ve been learning, the memory verses they’ve been challenged with, and the Bible stories we’ve read that help us understand some of these hard concepts.  To say I was blown away would be an understatement!  Memory verses were being quoted, kids were explaining deep Spiritual truths, and the recall of stories about David, Daniel, Paul, Silas, and Jesus (just to name a few) were being told.  There was fruit…big bowls of it…everywhere!

Why does fruit matter…why do we love it so?  Simply put, it means God is at work in the minds and hearts of our kids.  Literal fruit is good for our bodies.  Spiritual fruit is good for our souls…and a Children’s Pastor’s heart! 

This Week’s Announcements:
1. BRING YOUR BIBLE!  I’ve challenged the elementary (1st-5th grade) children to bring their own Bible each week.  As we ARM ourselves with God’s Truth, one of the most important tools will be God’s Word.  If you’re unsure if your child has the Bible that is appropriate for his or her age/maturity/reading level, I’m happy to be a resource for you.  Contact me and I can give you suggestions about good options for your age child. Contact me at penny@stonebridgemarietta.org

What God is Teaching Us:
For Toddlers-3k:
Even our youngest are getting ARMED as they explore what coming to church is all about.  They are learning that Church is God’s house, and about the things we do together in His house.  They are learning that we play, pray, praise, and learn about the Bible.  This week they began learning about the Bible- God’s True Story.  
Click the link to see the nursery lessons: This link is no longer available

For 4k-5th Grade:
We continue to get “ARMED” and ready for battle!  To see this week’s review, click on the link below.
This link is no longer available

*Also- we are ARMING ourselves by learning a memory verse together each week. 
This week’s Memory Verses:
For 2/3 year olds: “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.”  Psalm 119:105 For 3k preschool: “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.”  Psalm 119:105 For 4k/K: “Put on all of God's armor. Then you can stand firm against the devil's evil plans.” Ephesians 6:11 (NIrV)For 1st-5th grade: “Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power.  Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes.” Ephesians 6:10-11

Amazing Things Kids Do and Say…
One of my buddies turned six last week. “That’s a very big deal because-as you know, Ms. Penny- I have to use two hands to show you how old I am now!”  After telling him he was exactly right, I asked if he’d had a good birthday so far and how many people had said “Happy Birthday!”   He told me a number.  I replied with, “Add one more…Happy Birthday!”  He responded, “Thanks…hearing that never gets old!”